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A Yezidi-American Community PortalMon, 23 Oct 2017 16:21:11 +0000en-UShourly1YezidiPosthttps://feedburner.google.comIndigenous American activist Damon visits Middle East to help the Yazidishttp://yezidipost.com/2017/10/23/indigenous-american-activist-damon-visits-middle-east-help-yazidis/
http://yezidipost.com/2017/10/23/indigenous-american-activist-damon-visits-middle-east-help-yazidis/#respondMon, 23 Oct 2017 16:21:11 +0000http://yezidipost.com/?p=1202In a show of solidarity and support for the Yezidi people of Iraq who were brutally singled out for genocide by ISIS, a prominent Amerindian rights activist and UN indigenous rights defender agreed to travel to Jordon and Iraq this October 8th at the invitation of the Yezidis’ supreme spiritual leader, the Baba Sheikh, Mirza […]

]]>In a show of solidarity and support for the Yezidi people of Iraq who were brutally singled out for genocide by ISIS, a prominent Amerindian rights activist and UN indigenous rights defender agreed to travel to Jordon and Iraq this October 8th at the invitation of the Yezidis’ supreme spiritual leader, the Baba Sheikh, Mirza Ishmael – founder of Yezidis Human Rights International and Nallein Sowilo. He met surviving Yezidi victims and documented ISIS crimes against the Yezidi people of Iraq and interviewed Kain – an indigenous tribe of refugees in Jordon,
in order to compile a historic case on behalf of the Yezidi People, against captured ISIS members for the crime of Genocide at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague – so that JUSTICE may finally prevail. Damon Corrie, Chief of the Eagle Clan Lokono-Arawaks Barbados Chapter of the United Confederation of Taíno People (UCTP),and Co-founder of the Caribbean Amerindian Development Organization (CADO) also Co-Founder and Chairman of the Defense Committee of the Indigenous Democracy Defence Organization (IDDO) – was recently appointed by His Holiness the Baba Sheikh as the Yezidi nation’s official Ambassador-at-large to the world.Damon will be in communication with Chase Iron Eyes, another prominent Native American Indian activist, attorney,
politician, journalist, and member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. As founder of North America’s most popular indigenous news media website www.lastrealindians.com, Chase Iron Eyes (via LRI) will be exclusively sharing field reports and project updates on social media.Damon Corrie and Chase Iron Eyes have appealed to all friends and
supporters of the Yezidis and Amerindians alike to help them to raise funds needed to undertake the dangerous return journey that Damon has agreed to take on.

Damon has completed his first fact-finding Mission to Iraq.Due to the build up of Iraqi Armed Forces on the border with the Kurdistan Autonomous Region (which borders the Yezidi Autonomous Region). Damon was unable to visit the Yezidi communities & Towns of North Western Jordon instead for a period of about a week. In a co-ordinated effort between Yezidi, Kain refugees & Jordanian investigated human rights abuse and genocide of indigenous tribes he investigated sacred sites of indigenous people for protection and return land to indigenous Kain,
gathering valuable and sensitive information that could result in multiple deaths of innocent persons if it fell into the wrong hands, and safely got it out of the country. This information will be used as the basis for multiple legal cases seeking justice and compensation for Yezidis from multiple parties that are guilty of committing international war crimes against the Yezidi People and Kain population so in that sense the trip was successful – albeit in a manner not envisaged prior to actual boots on the ground.Few things in the volatile middle East ever go according to plans hatched in advance.

Here Damon gives a brief overview in his own words:
“Well, I want all of our kindhearted supporters whose financial donations made this trip possible, and brothers Roberto, Chase and Mirza Ismael – who have been supporting me behind the scenes, to know that the experience was an eye-opener as those with blood on their hands for the Yezidi genocide are many (and many culprits are so-called
respectable western persons & entities we did not suspect from our mainstream media that covers their tracks well) – and it is a far deeper and darker rabbit hole than I think anyone realizes – and is certainly fraught with danger at every twist & turn. Despite the hardship of Jordon, I am determined to go back and spend longer, one week was not enough time to do as many things as I had hoped, but on this occasion it proved to be perfect timing – as if I had stayed one day longer I would have gotten stuck in the conflict between the Iraqi Forces and Kurdish Forces, so as I always say – the Creator knows best, for my extra personal security just in case, as I had one incident on my second to last day where I was in the midst of gunfire when Jordon fired shots in air (partially recorded on my cell phone camera). Though I did not suffer a scratch. People have to understand that every Human Rights Defender chooses this vocation VOLUNTARILY out of a sense of honor and duty to our fellow man. And we accept that our lives ARE going to be on the line, and that each of us will almost certainly be targeted for assassination by some powerful government or private business interest. We know several fellow Human Rights Defender colleagues of ours from the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues who have been murdered over the last 17 years of this new century alone – and mostly in their own home countries under dubious official cover stories that leave the hired perpetrators still roaming at large and free from justice. Now that I know what the reality on the ground is like, I think we need to appeal for funds to enable me to return for a longer second Mission in early 2018 where additionally a camcorder (not a tool I had to use this time) is taken to record on video the testimonies of ISIS victims – which tends to have a greater impact that written accounts – though these are certainly
also very valuable as legal foundations for our cases”.

]]>http://yezidipost.com/2017/10/23/indigenous-american-activist-damon-visits-middle-east-help-yazidis/feed/0Armed with their own constitution, Yezidis prepare for Ezdihikhan to break away from the slavery of Kurdistanhttp://yezidipost.com/2017/09/25/armed-with-their-own-constitution-yezidis-prepare-for-ezdihikhan-to-break-away-from-the-slavery-of-kurdistan/
http://yezidipost.com/2017/09/25/armed-with-their-own-constitution-yezidis-prepare-for-ezdihikhan-to-break-away-from-the-slavery-of-kurdistan/#respondMon, 25 Sep 2017 16:07:46 +0000http://yezidipost.com/?p=1197While Kurds prepare for Kurdistan, Yezidis prepare to break away from the slavery of the same very Kurdistan and create Ezdihikhan. To that end they even have their own constitution, a map and a flag. Yezidi Post spoke to the minister of justice of Ezdihikhan , Nallein Al-Sowilo and got access to parts of the […]

]]>While Kurds prepare for Kurdistan, Yezidis prepare to break away from the slavery of the same very Kurdistan and create Ezdihikhan. To that end they even have their own constitution, a map and a flag. Yezidi Post spoke to the minister of justice of Ezdihikhan , Nallein Al-Sowilo and got access to parts of the new constitution being prepared by the Yezidis for future Ezdihikhan.

Ezidikhan Code of Laws Rationale

Overview of the present condition of Ezidikhan Legal environment

Customary Law

Ezidikhan is a more than 7000 yr old civilization and with own customs.
A key priority for the development of the Ezidikhan Code of Laws is to identify,
recognize and codify customary laws. Customary laws will inform statutory laws as
they are developed to meet civil and criminal law needs to serve Ezidikhan society.
The customs of the peoples make up the customary law including social, spiritual
and cultural practices from time immemorial. Therefore, these are areas of
customary law that must be documented.

Statutory Laws

Ezidikhan as an Autonomous Region, part of Iraq was Proclaimed into modern existence on 25
July 2017 affirming what has long existed as a cultural reality. Its first public and
official statutory law is the organic law Establishment of the Provisional
Government of Ezidikhan (25 July 2017, Lalish, Ezidikhan) under the authority of
the Supreme Spiritual Leaders. No statutory laws have been enacted by the new
government except the organize Proclamation that recognizes the inherent powers
of the Yezidi, Shabakh, Zoroastrian and Assryian peoples to govern themselves.

Accordingly, these are the preliminary areas of law that must be considered to be
included in the Ezidikhan Code of Laws:

Civil Rights Law
Civil rights law aims to balance competing interests between institutions of
government on the one hand and individuals or groups of individuals on the other.
This area of the law involves discrimination and unfair practices that infringe on
rights and liberties such as expression, employment, housing, education, or other
entitlements.

“Unlike as in Kurdistan, where non-Muslims are subjected to Sharia law, all citizens of Ezdihikhan will have equal opportunities with respect to opportunities provided to the citizens by the Ezdihikhan Autonomous Region.While providing opportunities, there will be no distinction in terms of race, gender or birth.”

Immigration Law
This area involves individuals at all stages of the naturalization process. Other
aspects of the profession relate to refugee and asylum seekers, as well as to
individuals in the country without legal permission. Naturalization and immigration
laws are proposed and enacted by the Governing Council.

Bankruptcy Law
Bankruptcy law applies to the insolvency problems of individuals as well as
organizations.

Business (Corporate) law
Corporate law involves the formation, dissolution, and all other legal aspects of the
administration of corporations. Typical duties of corporate lawyers include mergers,
acquisitions, internal reorganization, or disputes between corporations and
individuals concerning liability, patents, and compliance with state and federal law,
as well as international accords.

Criminal Law
Criminal law focuses on behaviors that are sanctioned under criminal code and
defined as illegal.

Entertainment Law
Entertainment law predominantly relates to Intellectual Property Law, but is more
specifically centered on rights and royalties problems to media in the arts, music,
television, cinema, or athletics. Sports lawyers ensure compliance with regulations
for professional or amateur athletics and may represent an athlete for a contractual
transaction.

Environmental Law
Environmental law concerns a multitude of statutes, treaties, regulations, and
conventions based in nations and or transnational law.

Family Law
Family law focuses on legal relations between individuals in the context of the
family. This area involves a variety of areas ranging from child welfare, domestic
partnerships, and marriages.

Health Law
Family law focuses on legal relations between individuals in the context of the
family. The Governing Council may establish policies that will need to be
implemented through specific laws

Intellectual Property Law
Intellectual Property law focuses on protecting the rights of inventors, authors,
holders of cultural artifacts and businesses to their tangible and intangible
creations, inventions and symbols.

Labor (Employment) Law
Labor law is concerned with the relations between workers and their employers on
matters ranging from wages and compensation, through harassment, to
discrimination based on gender, disability, or age

Military Law
Military law involves codes and procedures that govern legal matters in the armed
forces.

Personal Injury Law
Personal injury law deals with intentional or unintentional wrongdoing that affects
individuals physically or psychologically.

Tax Law
Tax law is a dynamic field that deals with domestic and international transactions.
Because of the frequent modifications to local, state, and federal codes and the
complexity of fiscal policy that guides these changes, experts in tax law engage in
continuous education at greater rates than in many other fields of law.

Conduct discussions with Ministers
The Ministerial Cabinet is a valuable part of the law development process. These
ministers and their aids assist the Prime Minister in the development of proposed
laws (customary and statutory) for submission to the Governing Council. The
Governing Council may also originate laws that will be in turn administered by the
various ministers. It is logical, therefore that the Ministers engage in early
discussions and development of proposals for establishing legal code
recommendations to the Prime Minister for later consideration by the Governing
Council

]]>http://yezidipost.com/2017/09/25/armed-with-their-own-constitution-yezidis-prepare-for-ezdihikhan-to-break-away-from-the-slavery-of-kurdistan/feed/0“The Yezidis are a symbol of mankind’s indomitable will” -Hindu Professor in US pays glowing tribute to the Yezidi struggle to survivehttp://yezidipost.com/2017/07/28/the-yezidis-are-a-symbol-of-mankinds-indomitable-will-hindu-professor-in-us-pays-glowing-tribute-to-the-yezidi-struggle-to-survive/
http://yezidipost.com/2017/07/28/the-yezidis-are-a-symbol-of-mankinds-indomitable-will-hindu-professor-in-us-pays-glowing-tribute-to-the-yezidi-struggle-to-survive/#respondFri, 28 Jul 2017 11:14:16 +0000http://yezidipost.com/?p=1184 Why Followers Of Sanatan Dharma Must Help The Yazidis Subhash Kak – Feb 27, 2016, 2:18 pm Link: https://swarajyamag.com/world/why-followers-of-sanatan-dharma-must-help-the-yazidis SNAPSHOT The Yezidis were denounced as infidels by al-Qaeda in Iraq who sanctioned their indiscriminate killing. The Islamic State began a campaign of destroying Yezidi cities and villages in 2014. The Yezidis claim to have originated […]

Why Followers Of Sanatan Dharma Must Help The Yazidis

SNAPSHOT

The Yezidis were denounced as infidels by al-Qaeda in Iraq who sanctioned their indiscriminate killing. The Islamic State began a campaign of destroying Yezidi cities and villages in 2014.

The Yezidis claim to have originated in India, and the veneration of the peacock may be a memory of this origin. There may be a lot of truth to this belief.

As one of the most persecuted people in world history, they deserve praise and support for their courage and bravery in the face of the greatest odds.

Perhaps no people have endured horrors like the Yezidis. They were denounced as infidels by al-Qaeda in Iraq who sanctioned their indiscriminate killing. In 2007, a series of coordinated car bombs killed nearly 800 of them.

The Islamic State began a campaign of destroying Yezidi cities and villages in 2014, and it has murdered nearly 3,000 of them, abducted 6,500, and sold 4,500 Yezidi women and girls into sexual slavery. Many of the abducted girls have committed suicide. In these years, Bābā Shaykh, the Yezidis’ spiritual leader, has cancelled the official yearly religious ceremony at the main temple in Lalish out of fear of attacks.

The Yezidis (or Yezidis) are a Kurdish speaking people who live principally in northern Iraq. Reviled as devil worshipers for centuries by their Muslim and Christian neighbours, they have endured over 70 genocides in which over 20 million Yezidis are estimated to have died, and most have been compelled to abandon their culture.

The Yezidis number approximately 8,00,000, including about 1,50,000 who have taken refuge in Europe. They describe themselves as believing in one true God, and they revere Taus Melek, the Peacock Angel who is an embodied form (Avatar) of the infinite God. Six other angels assist Taus Melek and they are associated with the seven days of creation with Sunday as the day of Taus Melek. The peacock imagery adorns Yezidi shrines and houses of worship, and other places. The attacks on them are a consequence of the Christian and the Muslim belief that the Peacock Angel is Satan or Iblis.

Photo credit- SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images

The Yezidi religion is a mystical, oral tradition consisting of hymns (qawls), that are sung by qawwāls. Parts of the tradition have now been transcribed as two holy books called the Kitab al-Jilwa (Book of Revelation) and the Mishefa Reş (Black Book).

Yezidis claim to have originated in India, and the veneration of the peacock may be a memory of this origin. In India, the peacock is the vehicle of Murugan (also known as Skanda or Kārtikeya), son of Śiva. Kṛṣṇa also wears a peacock feather in his hair or in the crown. Of the seven colors produced from the primal rainbow, Tausi Melek is associated with the color blue, which is also the color of Kṛṣṇa.

Yezidis pray in the direction of the sun, excepting for the noon prayer which is in the direction of Lalish. They believe in reincarnation and they take it that the angels (with the exception of Taus Melek) have been incarnated on earth as holy people or saints. Just like the Hindus, they use the metaphor of a change of garment to describe the process of rebirth.

Like other Indo-European cultures, the Yezidi society is tripartite, with the three classes of shaykh (priests), pir (elders), and murid (commoners) and they marry only within their group. Their society does not allow conversion. The shaykhs are divided into faqirs, qawwals, and kochaks. The secular leader is a hereditary Mīr or prince, whereas Bābā Shaykh heads the religious hierarchy.

The Yezidis call themselves Daseni (Dawasen, pl.) which is derived from Devayasni (Sanskrit, deva-yājñi), or deva-worshiper. The word Yezidi is most likely derived from Sanskrit yajata (worthy of worship) which in Old Persian (and Kashmiri) is yazata. The word deva in Old Persian is spelt daeva.

Across India, Iran and West Asia in the ancient world, the worshipers of Veda were simply Devayājñi (or Devayasni), of which the terms Sanātana Dharma or Vedic Dharma are synonyms. The name by which the Zoroastrians call their own religion is Mazdayasna (Sanskrit, medhā-yajña), or the religion of Ahura Mazda (Sanskrit Asura Medhā, Lord of Wisdom). Zarathushtra presented his religion as rival to the religion of the devas, that is Devayasna.

The most plausible spread of Devayasna from India took place about 1900 BCE, soon after which Vedic gods begin to be mentioned in Mesopotamia and Syria. Zarathushtra came from Bactria in northeast Iran, near Afghanistan and his new religion split the deva-worshiping communities in the West from the ones in India. The 4,000 year estimate of the Yezidis on when they returned from India is consistent with this figure.

After the rise of Zoroastrianism, Devayasna survived for a pretty long time in West Asia. The evidence of the survival comes from the deva- or daiva-inscription of Iranian Emperor Xerxes (ruled 486-465 BC) in which the revolt by the deva worshipers in West Iran is directly mentioned. Xerxes announces: “And among these countries there was a place where previously daiva were worshiped. Afterwards, by the grace of Ahuramazda, I destroyed that sanctuary of daiva, and I proclaimed: The daiva shall not be worshipped!” This, nearly 2,500 years ago, is an early record of the persecution suffered by the Devayasni, the ancestors of the Yezidis.

The Yezidi calendar goes back to 4750 BCE. It appears that this is connected to India’s Old Saptarṣi Calendar of 6676 BCE that is mentioned by the Greek historian Arrian in his account of Alexander’s campaign. (More on the Saptarṣi Calendar is in my book The Astronomical Code of the Ṛgveda.)

The Yezidis have a rich spiritual tradition and their modern culture goes back to the 12th century leader Shaykh Adi (died in 1162), a descendent of Marwan I, the fourth Umayyad Caliph, whose tomb is in Lalish in Northern Iraq which has now become the focal point of the principal Yezidi pilgrimage.

During the New Year celebration, bronze lamps crowned with peacocks, called sanjaks, which are similar to the bronze peacock ārati-lamps, are taken from the residence of the Mīr in a processional by the qawwals through the Yezidi villages. It is believed that the sanjaks came from India, and originally there were seven, one for each of the Seven Sacred Angels, but five were taken away by the Turks, and now only two remain.

Photo Credit- SAFIN HAMED/AFP/Getty Images

The Yezidis are a symbol of mankind’s indomitable will. As one of the most persecuted people in world history, they deserve praise and support for their courage and bravery in the face of the greatest odds. The least the Devayasnis (Sanātana Dharmis) can do is to open their hearts, provide refuge and support, admission to schools and colleges, and connect up with the Yezidi diaspora in Europe and America.

]]>http://yezidipost.com/2017/07/28/the-yezidis-are-a-symbol-of-mankinds-indomitable-will-hindu-professor-in-us-pays-glowing-tribute-to-the-yezidi-struggle-to-survive/feed/0Baba Shiekh declares formation of Yezidi Nation “Ezdixan” and bless the formation of cabinet councilhttp://yezidipost.com/2017/07/26/baba-shiekh-declares-formation-of-yezidi-nation-ezdixan-and-bless-the-formation-of-cabinet-council-2/
http://yezidipost.com/2017/07/26/baba-shiekh-declares-formation-of-yezidi-nation-ezdixan-and-bless-the-formation-of-cabinet-council-2/#respondWed, 26 Jul 2017 22:44:43 +0000http://yezidipost.com/?p=1182Under pressure from Yezidi activists worldwide and in the backdrop of the Kurdish dictator Barzani making a move to declare Kurdistan as a nation, evicting and killing Yezidis at random, Yezidi spiritual leader Baba Shiekh has come forward to declare the formation of Exdixan, a Yezidi Spiritual Nation in the heart of otherwise Islamic Middle […]

]]>Under pressure from Yezidi activists worldwide and in the backdrop of the Kurdish dictator Barzani making a move to declare Kurdistan as a nation, evicting and killing Yezidis at random, Yezidi spiritual leader Baba Shiekh has come forward to declare the formation of Exdixan, a Yezidi Spiritual Nation in the heart of otherwise Islamic Middle East. This nation he believes will be democratic, with equal opportunity for all in terms of race, gender, birth and sexual orientation and will be in sharp contrast to the Sharia law that exists in Kurdistan for all citizens. This he sees as the only way forward for the Yezidi people to maintain their ancient Sumerian Indigenous Civilization and survive. Like Hindus, Sikhs and other communities Yezidis believe in Reincarnation , Sun Civilizational beliefs and have maintained it despite 1400 years of persecution. Being part of Kurdistan will mean an end to those values.

Yazidis Proclaim the Establishment of a Provisional Government

http://www.aina.org/news/20170725131025.htm

Posted 2017-07-25 17:10 GMT

Baba Sheikh Khurto Hajji Ismail, Head of the Supreme Spiritual Council of Ezidikhan.

(AINA) — Baba Sheikh Khurto Hajji Ismail, the head of the Supreme Spiritual Council of Ezidikhan, has declared the establishment of a provisional Yazidi government. In a proclamation published on July 25, he calls for Yazidis who were displaced by the ISIS genocide to return to their homelands.ISIS captured Mosul in June of 2014 and subsequently engaged in a systematic genocide of Yazidis and Assyrians, killing thousands of Yazidis and hundreds of Assyrians, driving nearly 200,000 Assyrians away from their homes in the Nineveh Plains, displacing tens of thousands of Yazidis and capturing and selling Yazidi women as sex slaves.

The proclamation outlines the structure of the provisional government and lists nine goals:

Actively promote Yezidi immigration and the return of the Yezidi Diaspora;

Foster the economic, social and political prosperity and stability of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants;

Implement a charter and Constitution protecting individual and community freedom, justice and peace as envisaged in the traditions of Ezidikhan;

Advance and establish customary and judicial laws to ensure equality of social, economic and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, creed, ethnic identity or sex or political affiliations;

]]>http://yezidipost.com/2017/07/26/baba-shiekh-declares-formation-of-yezidi-nation-ezdixan-and-bless-the-formation-of-cabinet-council-2/feed/0Baba Shiekh declares formation of Yezidi Nation “Ezdixan” and bless the formation of cabinet councilhttp://yezidipost.com/2017/07/25/baba-shiekh-declares-formation-of-yezidi-nation-ezdixan-and-bless-the-formation-of-cabinet-council/
http://yezidipost.com/2017/07/25/baba-shiekh-declares-formation-of-yezidi-nation-ezdixan-and-bless-the-formation-of-cabinet-council/#respondTue, 25 Jul 2017 11:47:33 +0000http://yezidipost.com/?p=1175In the backdrop of the Kurdish dictator Barzani making a move to declare Kurdistan as a nation, evicting and killing Yezidis at random, Yezidi spiritual leader Baba Shiekh has come forward to declare the formation of Exdixan, a Yezidi Spiritual Nation in the heart of Islamic Middle East. This nation he believes will be democratic, […]

]]>In the backdrop of the Kurdish dictator Barzani making a move to declare Kurdistan as a nation, evicting and killing Yezidis at random, Yezidi spiritual leader Baba Shiekh has come forward to declare the formation of Exdixan, a Yezidi Spiritual Nation in the heart of Islamic Middle East. This nation he believes will be democratic, with equal opportunity for all in terms of race, gender, birth and sexual orientation and will be in sharp contrast to the Sharia law that exists in Kurdistan for all citizens. This he sees as the only way forward for the Yezidi people to maintain their ancient Sumerian Indigenous Civilization and survive. Like Hindus, Sikhs and other communities Yezidis believe in Reincarnation , Sun Civilizational beliefs and have maintained it despite 1400 years of persecution. Being part of Kurdistan will mean an end to those values.

Yazidis Proclaim the Establishment of a Provisional Government

http://www.aina.org/news/20170725131025.htm

Posted 2017-07-25 17:10 GMT

Baba Sheikh Khurto Hajji Ismail, Head of the Supreme Spiritual Council of Ezidikhan.

(AINA) — Baba Sheikh Khurto Hajji Ismail, the head of the Supreme Spiritual Council of Ezidikhan, has declared the establishment of a provisional Yazidi government. In a proclamation published on July 25, he calls for Yazidis who were displaced by the ISIS genocide to return to their homelands.ISIS captured Mosul in June of 2014 and subsequently engaged in a systematic genocide of Yazidis and Assyrians, killing thousands of Yazidis and hundreds of Assyrians, driving nearly 200,000 Assyrians away from their homes in the Nineveh Plains, displacing tens of thousands of Yazidis and capturing and selling Yazidi women as sex slaves.

The proclamation outlines the structure of the provisional government and lists nine goals:

Actively promote Yezidi immigration and the return of the Yezidi Diaspora;

Foster the economic, social and political prosperity and stability of the country for the benefit of all its inhabitants;

Implement a charter and Constitution protecting individual and community freedom, justice and peace as envisaged in the traditions of Ezidikhan;

Advance and establish customary and judicial laws to ensure equality of social, economic and political rights to all its inhabitants irrespective of religion, creed, ethnic identity or sex or political affiliations;

]]>http://yezidipost.com/2017/07/25/baba-shiekh-declares-formation-of-yezidi-nation-ezdixan-and-bless-the-formation-of-cabinet-council/feed/0Kurdistan’s independence without a Yezidi nation can only mean death sentence for my people – Mirza Ismailhttp://yezidipost.com/2017/07/25/kurdistans-independence-without-a-yezidi-nation-can-only-mean-death-sentence-for-my-people-mirza-ismail/
http://yezidipost.com/2017/07/25/kurdistans-independence-without-a-yezidi-nation-can-only-mean-death-sentence-for-my-people-mirza-ismail/#respondTue, 25 Jul 2017 10:16:59 +0000http://yezidipost.com/?p=1171 Having faced 74 genocides in the last 1400 years at the hands of Islamic neighbors, and in the backdrop of extreme persecution continuing even today where Yezidis from Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG ) controlled regions are being evicted by the authorities in a matter of 24 hours or less. Yezidi leader Mirza Ismail today […]

Having faced 74 genocides in the last 1400 years at the hands of Islamic neighbors, and in the backdrop of extreme persecution continuing even today where Yezidis from Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG ) controlled regions are being evicted by the authorities in a matter of 24 hours or less. Yezidi leader Mirza Ismail today made a frantic appeal to all Western Powers including US President Donald Trump and European leadership for supporting an independent homeland for the Yezidi people “Ezdixan” without which he believes survival for the Yezidi people is impossible. Being recently quoted by Brietbart, Mirza Ismail perhaps stand as the last hope for the Yezidi people who connect themselves with the ancient indigenous Sumerian civilization and faith, very distinct from the Muslim faith of their Kurdish neighbors. His interview is below.

Describe how the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) is treating the Yazidi community?

The KRG is mal-treating the displaced Yezidis in camps in Northern Iraq and especially the Yezidis’ political and human rights activists. In general the KRG’s treatments of Yezidis cannot be worse, by torturing, detaining, assassinating Yezidi activists; the KRG does whatever is necessary to do to get rid-off the Yezidi activist, those who tell the “Truth about the violations by brutal regime of the KRG.

When did the KRG start kicking the Yazidis out of Iraqi Kurdistan?

The KRG started kicking the Yezidis out of its region in Northern Iraq more than a year ago. However, at the beginning were individual cases of the Yezidis’ political activists; then followed by Yezidi human rights activists and now the KRG is kicking out the Yezidis in groups those who joined-up with the Popular Mobilization Force to liberate their Yezidi regions from ISIS.

How long is the KRG giving the Yazidis to leave Iraqi Kurdistan?

The time given is varying from individual or family group cases to cases; I have talked to some families; those families only were given about two hours to leave the KRG region. E.g.: The KRG’s asayish (Barzani’s Mafia Group of torturing, assassinations and killing) team visited those families at about 10:00 am and told them that they have to leave before the lunchtime, which was less than 2 hours. For my colleague’s (Sufyan) case, the asayish team visited his family and told them the family has to leave the KRG region within 24 hour. There are also family group; who are given few days to leave the KRG region. The asayish personnel would visit those families and tell them “You have few days, if you put pressure on your man/men to leave the Popular Mobilization Force and come join-up the KRG peshmergas,” you can stay here in the Kurdistan region and if you cannot do this, then you have to leave immediately!

Why is the KRG kicking the Yazidis out?

The KRG is losing faith in the Yezidi society after most of its peshmergas and civilians joined up with ISIS and killed, kidnapped, burned and raped the Yezidi young women and girls. The KRG has tried many different missions and political tactics to gain the Yezidis’ trust and to control the Yezidis as they did before the ISIS attack on August 03, 2014, but the KRG has failed in all its missions to control the Yezidis again! However, the KRG was able to buy the Yezidi’s prince, clan leader like Qassem Shesho, Qassem Smeer, Qassem Dirbo, Hayder Shesho, Sheikh Shamo, Vian Dakhil, Mohama Khalil etc. for large amount of money. Despite trying all attempts, the KRG failed to gain the Yezidi’s public trust and the Yezidis have learned the lesson this time the “Real enemy of the Yezidis are the Kurds!” Therefore, the KRG now is kicking the Yezidi’s political, human rights activists and Yezidi fighters out of Kurdistan region, so the KRG can instill the fears among the other Yezidis who have lived there for thousands of Yezidis to leave or to “Vote KRG at the up-coming Referendum.”

Who issued the order to remove the Yazidis from Iraqi Kurdistan?

The order to remove the Yezidis is actually from Barzani, but his asayish (Mafia organization) giving the order to the Yezidi families or individuals to leave Iraqi Kurdish region.

Who is threatening the Yazidis?

The Asayish (Security force) and the Parastin (KRG Intelligence), the asayish is in charge of detaining, torturing, and abusing and the parastin is in charge of assassination. Since the arrival of the Yezidis from Shingal/Sinjar and Nineveh Plain to KRG region because of the ISIS attack in early August of 2014 to present hundreds of Yezidi activists and civilians kidnapped from different IDP camps and a week later were found dead in nearby valleys or open fields.

Why are the Yazidis in Iraqi Kurdistan?

The Yezidis live in their ancient homeland, Iraq, Western Iraq, Southeastern Turkey, Syria and Balabek Area in Lebanon are originally Yezidis and Chaldo-Assyrian’s ancient homelands, but Kurds came and settle their during the Islamic expansion. The Yezidis are the ancient people of the Sumeria, the birthplace of the civilizations, so the Yezidis are not in Kurdistan, but the vice-versa is the “Truth” the Kurds are in our land!

What is the KRG doing to Yazidis or anyone else who voice opposition to the independence referendum?

The KRG is doing its best to get rid of all those Yezidis who voice opposition to the independence referendum in Barzani’s way!

Where are the Yazidis being told to go?

The KRG does not tell the Yezidis where to go, but when the KRG kicks the Yezidi family or individual, number one place is Mount Shingal/Sinjar and some activists go to Baghdad like my colleague Sufyan Mando. The Sinjar is not safe for the Yezidi activists because the KRG still in control in many parts of the Northern side of Mount Shingal, several Yezidi men were killed in war-torn city of Shingal. We know there no ISIS there but instead the KRG’s asayish and parastin who are the real ISIS and unfortunately the KRG is fully supported by the West to wipe off the Yezidis in Iraq.

Do Yazidis support the KRG independence referendum?

No, no Yezidis support the KRG independence referendum accept a small “Kurdified Yezidis” who have accepted Kurdish whether of political interest, fears or large amount of money.

Does the KRG represent a Democracy where people are free to voice their opinion?

The KRG Authority does not know what does the “Democracy” means! If there is a “Dictatorship and Brutal Regime in the World” then the KRG is that. There is no freedom of speech and there is no freedom of opinion under the KRG regime. The Yezidi Human Rights Organization-International followed the past federal and provincial elections very closely, in Shingal region, the Yezidis had to vote the KRG at gunpoint. One-asayish personnel would check mark more than 100 election tickets! Saddam Hussein was president of Iraq for 24 years and he was considered by most of the Western World dictatorship # 1. And Barzani has been the president of KRG region since 1991, which 26 years, so two years more than Saddam and Barzani’s regime is considered most democratic and freedom system in the Middle East by the West. Barzani has been president of the KRG region two years over his term since the last KRG elections and he refuses to step down and he still considered democracy by the Western World!

What can the United States do to help the Yazidis in KRG?

The United States can create an “Autonomous Region” for the Yezidis and Chaldo-Assyrian in Shingal and Nineveh Plain that is directly tied to Baghdad’s Central government and provide them with military training and military supplies to be ready to defend their nations and indigenous lands in case of another extremist attack. The United States also declared that what the ISIS has done against the Yezidis is “Genocide” and therefore, there should be a “Moral Obligations” the US to follow to make sure genocide does not happen against the Yezidis.

What message do you have for the Trump administration and the Republican-led Congress?

The Yezidi Human Rights Organization – International hopes that the Trump administration and the Republican-led Congress take an immediate action to re-building the Yezidi and Chaldo-Assyrian regions (Shingal and Nineveh Plain) and provide the necessary support, safety and security, so the Yezidis and Chaldo-Assyrian can go back to their ancient regions and the region be administered by Yezidis and Chaldo-Assyrian only.

We also hope that the Trump administration and Congress cut all military and financial aid to Barzani and his KRG’s mafia organization; Barzani is not a less terrorist than Abo-Bakir al-Baghdadi and his ISIS organization.

]]>http://yezidipost.com/2017/07/25/kurdistans-independence-without-a-yezidi-nation-can-only-mean-death-sentence-for-my-people-mirza-ismail/feed/0Native Americans and Hindus organize fundraising for goodwill mission to Yezidis in Iraqhttp://yezidipost.com/2017/06/20/native-americans-and-hindus-organize-fundraising-for-goodwill-mission-to-yezidis-in-iraq-2/
http://yezidipost.com/2017/06/20/native-americans-and-hindus-organize-fundraising-for-goodwill-mission-to-yezidis-in-iraq-2/#respondTue, 20 Jun 2017 17:33:07 +0000http://yezidipost.com/?p=1162[LALISH, Nineveh, Iraq. May 18, 2017] – The Baba Shex Khurto has invited two leading Native American advocates of the world’s First Peoples to tour Ezidikhan in Kurdish-administered Iraq next month. According to the Yezidi nation’s official news agency, His Holiness the Baba Sheikh recently appointed the Caribbean indigenous rights activist Damon Gerard Corrie as […]

]]>[LALISH, Nineveh, Iraq. May 18, 2017] – The Baba Shex Khurto has invited two leading Native American advocates of the world’s First Peoples to tour Ezidikhan in Kurdish-administered Iraq next month.

According to the Yezidi nation’s official news agency, His Holiness the Baba Sheikh recently appointed the Caribbean indigenous rights activist Damon Gerard Corrie as the Yezidi nation Ezidikhan’s official ambassador-at-large.

Last month, Mr. Corrie served as the Yezidi nation Ezidikhan’s official envoy at the 16th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues where he presented Ezidikhan’s official statement objecting to Turkish air attacks upon Yezidi territory.

Ambassador Corrie will visit Kurdish-administered Iraq in June at the invitation of the Baba Sheikh, who will swear in Ambassador Corrie and bless his mission in Ezidikhan and across the world.

Damon Corrie and Chase Iron Eyes

Ambassador Corrie will be accompanied by Chase Iron Eyes, a prominent Native American Indian activist, attorney, politician, video documentary producer, and member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe of North America.

Ambassador Corrie is currently seeking funds to undertake his first mission to Iraq, including the purchase and delivery directly to Yezidi authorities of medical supplies that local field clinics desperately need.

Supporters of the Yezidi cause are encouraged to contribute to this diplomatic and humanitarian mission. A fundraising page endorsed by Ezidikhan authorities to accept contributions toward this mission has been set at

]]>http://yezidipost.com/2017/06/20/native-americans-and-hindus-organize-fundraising-for-goodwill-mission-to-yezidis-in-iraq-2/feed/0Enthusiastic activist in US campaigns for the Yezidishttp://yezidipost.com/2017/05/28/enthusiastic-activist-in-us-campaigns-for-the-yezidis/
http://yezidipost.com/2017/05/28/enthusiastic-activist-in-us-campaigns-for-the-yezidis/#respondSun, 28 May 2017 18:17:36 +0000http://yezidipost.com/?p=1160I am Dimo Valchev. I am trying to raise money to send to Yezidi associated charities to help fund their food and water since many are without this, I live in Henderson, NV, USA and I also have a physical donation jar for people in my area, please donate I am trying to help save the […]

I am Dimo Valchev. I am trying to raise money to send to Yezidi associated charities to help fund their food and water since many are without this, I live in Henderson, NV, USA and I also have a physical donation jar for people in my area, please donate I am trying to help save the Yezidi people. I am a young scholar who has been stuyding the Yezidi people for a few years and their pain and suffering cause me much pain, I wanted to start this gofundme so I can send funds to Yezidis International. I don’t directly speak to any of these parties at the moment but I plan to reach out soon and will be sending cash via paypal through their donations links I will be sending all funds to these charities myself I simply want a method to organize and help this cause in my own individual way

]]>http://yezidipost.com/2017/05/28/enthusiastic-activist-in-us-campaigns-for-the-yezidis/feed/0Hollywood Director Aditya Patwardhan journeys into the lives of forgotten Yezidishttp://yezidipost.com/2017/05/03/hollywood-director-aditya-patwardhan-journeys-into-the-lives-of-forgotten-yezidis/
http://yezidipost.com/2017/05/03/hollywood-director-aditya-patwardhan-journeys-into-the-lives-of-forgotten-yezidis/#respondWed, 03 May 2017 21:49:26 +0000http://yezidipost.com/?p=1143Eastern Shores of the Western World – The Middle East Experience By Aditya Patwardhan In the continuation to the shoot for my documentary called “Eastern Shores of the Western World” in association with I.C.C.S., last week I was introduced to one of the most kindhearted, blissful and courageous people that I have known – The Yezidis. […]

Eastern Shores of the Western World – The Middle East Experience

By Aditya Patwardhan

In the continuation to the shoot for my documentary called “Eastern Shores of the Western World” in association with I.C.C.S., last week I was introduced to one of the most kindhearted, blissful and courageous people that I have known – The Yezidis.

On the 19th of April 2017 I was attending Ser-Saal, the Yezidi New Year at their community event in Phoenix, Arizona. Persecuted by ISIS since 2014, the Yezidis claim that this is their 74th genocide, having been victims of religious oppression from one empire after another, all because they didn’t belong to the popular “Religion” of the region.

Regardless to say is the work done for their community by the people from SEWA International, HSS, and ICCS. Every praise falls short when I look at the selfless way these organizations have worked for the Yezidi community. Right from giving them the basic moral support, helping the Yezidis in retaining their identity and to teaching them organizational skills that can help them rebuild their community, Seva and others have been on the forefront of these activities.

Through my association with Sewa and HSS, when I arrived in Arizona, I didn’t know what to expect. I was going to meet members of an ancient community, who were new to the western world, far away from their homeland and not knowing when and how they would ever go back.Some had come to the United States more than a decade ago, some had arrived within the last three or four years, some had their sons and daughters living as refugees in Germany, Turkey, and other countries, some had relatives still in Syria & Iraq, and some didn’t even know where their friends and family were.

I arrived with a lot of preconceptions in my mind, anticipating an experience alien to me. And then when I met them, it all melted away. I saw the most courteous and gentle people, welcoming me into their house and family as one of their own. I knew that there had to be a shadow of their painful past somewhere, but it was nowhere to be seen. I was hidden probably, behind the force of their resilience and courage.

Yezidi as a community has faced one of the harshest of times, in one of the most hostile environments. They lived as a minority for more than a millennium and yet survived, not losing their identity to the dominant forces that surrounded them. And yet here they were, far away from their homeland, on the edge of the western hemisphere, maintaining their cultures with the same zeal and optimism as they might have done a millennium ago.

I shared meals, talks and some excellent Mesopotamian tea with them. I spoke to their Elders at length, the one who were the expert on the Yezidi religion, and they told me about their culture, rituals, and roots. In happier times, that conversation could have happened by a fireside, somewhere in northern Iraq, but alas here I was, in central Arizona, talking about the pre-Islamic middle-eastern faith systems.

Behind their calm exteriors was their strength and resilience that they had built over the centuries. And behind that was the wisdom of their faith and the Yezidi way of life – A sophisticated lifestyle that had survived its dogmatic and violent surroundings… A system based on astronomy and zodiac… a system very much similar to the Vedic way of life.

Saving Yezidis as a people, which is the most important task at hand, might be a complex maneuver. There is the middle-eastern geopolitics, the Arabs and the Kurds, the Europeans and the Americans, the Christians and the Muslims, the NATO and the Russians and so on… but saving Yezidi as a culture is something of importance as well and it is a task that the people from Vedic civilization can accomplish with their present tools.

Yezidi is a pre-Islamic Mesopotamisn/Anatolian (Iraq, Syria, and Turkey) faith system which shares its roots or probably has its origins in the Vedic culture of the Indo-Aryans. From their calendar, festivals, their deity Melek-Taus (the Vedic ‘Dhyo‘?) and their idea of non-violence, we can see that they share their journey with that of the Indic civilizations.

Once a prominent sophisticated culture in the times of the Mittani empire, the Yezidis in the modern Islamic times is a culture on way to its extinction. As they migrate further out of their homeland, they lose the connection to their original philosophy, which has already undergone fatal modifications due to the surrounding influence. I believe, and the Yezidi elders agree with this, that the answers to the questions about the Yezidis lie with the Vedic civilization and for this, they look towards it with hope.

A small moving excerpt:

I asked, “What can India do for Yezidis as a culture?”. The Yezidi Elder smiled and replied, “You have a place for 99% of the world religions, why not give us the remaining 1%”. As realization sunk in, I said, “Sir, you already are a part of the 99%, just that neither I nor you are aware of it”

The Vedic way of life lost itself to dogma in Europe, Middle-east, Afghanistan and Central Asia. The Yezidi is a fading living footprint that it has in the middle east and needs to be saved. Primarily as a people and then also as a living culture. A research facility for the Yezidis, a temple for Melek Taus or even a place for their priests at Hindu temples would only add to the wide galaxy of the vibrant Vedic civilization.

Since 2015 I have been working on the documentary “Eastern shores of the Western World”. I filmed with the Romuva Pagans of the Baltic, the Szekely community of the Black Sea region and lastly the Yezidi community of Middle East. The Romuva is a revival movement that seeks to follow the pre-Christian faith of the Baltic region. The Szekely is an extinct religion whose traces are now seen in the modern day Christian rituals in central Asia and black sea region. The Yezidi are an ancient live faith, ongoing in their struggle to avoid extinction, both of its people and of its culture.

But they all have some particular things in common. They all refuse to believe in the dogmatic idea of “Religion”, they all believe that they once were a “Live Faith” or “Dharma” that was derived out of astronomy and life sciences and lastly, they all acknowledge that the answer to their origin is somewhere in the Vedic civilization.

With this I conclude, praying that peace and a “Home” can soon be restored to the Yezidis and I can, with film and media as an equipment, play a part in helping them rebuild what was lost.

About the author:

Based in Los Angeles, Aditya Patwardhan is a Hollywood filmmaker. He is best known for his short film Red House by the Crossroads for which he won Best Short film Award at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards and the film was also the part of the Cannes Film Festival 2015. His popular music video “Katra Katra” is currently playing on MTV India in the Indie Pop category on national television in India. He can be reached at aditya@patwardhans.org

]]>http://yezidipost.com/2017/05/03/hollywood-director-aditya-patwardhan-journeys-into-the-lives-of-forgotten-yezidis/feed/0Eastern Shores of the Western World – The Middle East Experiencehttp://yezidipost.com/2017/05/03/eastern-shores-of-the-western-world-the-middle-east-experience/
http://yezidipost.com/2017/05/03/eastern-shores-of-the-western-world-the-middle-east-experience/#respondWed, 03 May 2017 21:38:56 +0000http://yezidipost.com/?p=1148In the continuation to the shoot for my documentary called “Eastern Shores of the Western World” in association with I.C.C.S., last week I was introduced to one of the most kindhearted, blissful and courageous people that I have known – The Yezidis. On the 19th of April 2017 I was attending Ser-Saal, the Yezidi New Year […]

In the continuation to the shoot for my documentary called “Eastern Shores of the Western World” in association with I.C.C.S., last week I was introduced to one of the most kindhearted, blissful and courageous people that I have known – The Yezidis.

On the 19th of April 2017 I was attending Ser-Saal, the Yezidi New Year at their community event in Phoenix, Arizona. Persecuted by ISIS since 2014, the Yezidis claim that this is their 74th genocide, having been victims of religious oppression from one empire after another, all because they didn’t belong to the popular “Religion” of the region.

Regardless to say is the work done for their community by the people from SEWA International, HSS, and ICCS. Every praise falls short when I look at the selfless way these organizations have worked for the Yezidi community. Right from giving them the basic moral support, helping the Yezidis in retaining their identity and to teaching them organizational skills that can help them rebuild their community, Seva and others have been on the forefront of these activities.

Through my association with Sewa and HSS, when I arrived in Arizona, I didn’t know what to expect. I was going to meet members of an ancient community, who were new to the western world, far away from their homeland and not knowing when and how they would ever go back.Some had come to the United States more than a decade ago, some had arrived within the last three or four years, some had their sons and daughters living as refugees in Germany, Turkey, and other countries, some had relatives still in Syria & Iraq, and some didn’t even know where their friends and family were.

I arrived with a lot of preconceptions in my mind, anticipating an experience alien to me. And then when I met them, it all melted away. I saw the most courteous and gentle people, welcoming me into their house and family as one of their own. I knew that there had to be a shadow of their painful past somewhere, but it was nowhere to be seen. I was hidden probably, behind the force of their resilience and courage.

Yezidi as a community has faced one of the harshest of times, in one of the most hostile environments. They lived as a minority for more than a millennium and yet survived, not losing their identity to the dominant forces that surrounded them. And yet here they were, far away from their homeland, on the edge of the western hemisphere, maintaining their cultures with the same zeal and optimism as they might have done a millennium ago.

I shared meals, talks and some excellent Mesopotamian tea with them. I spoke to their Elders at length, the one who were the expert on the Yezidi religion, and they told me about their culture, rituals, and roots. In happier times, that conversation could have happened by a fireside, somewhere in northern Iraq, but alas here I was, in central Arizona, talking about the pre-Islamic middle-eastern faith systems.

Behind their calm exteriors was their strength and resilience that they had built over the centuries. And behind that was the wisdom of their faith and the Yezidi way of life – A sophisticated lifestyle that had survived its dogmatic and violent surroundings… A system based on astronomy and zodiac… a system very much similar to the Vedic way of life.

Saving Yezidis as a people, which is the most important task at hand, might be a complex maneuver. There is the middle-eastern geopolitics, the Arabs and the Kurds, the Europeans and the Americans, the Christians and the Muslims, the NATO and the Russians and so on… but saving Yezidi as a culture is something of importance as well and it is a task that the people from Vedic civilization can accomplish with their present tools.

Yezidi is a pre-Islamic Mesopotamisn/Anatolian (Iraq, Syria, and Turkey) faith system which shares its roots or probably has its origins in the Vedic culture of the Indo-Aryans. From their calendar, festivals, their deity Melek-Taus (the Vedic ‘Dhyo‘?) and their idea of non-violence, we can see that they share their journey with that of the Indic civilizations.

Once a prominent sophisticated culture in the times of the Mittani empire, the Yezidis in the modern Islamic times is a culture on way to its extinction. As they migrate further out of their homeland, they lose the connection to their original philosophy, which has already undergone fatal modifications due to the surrounding influence. I believe, and the Yezidi elders agree with this, that the answers to the questions about the Yezidis lie with the Vedic civilization and for this, they look towards it with hope.

A small moving excerpt:

I asked, “What can India do for Yezidis as a culture?”. The Yezidi Elder smiled and replied, “You have a place for 99% of the world religions, why not give us the remaining 1%”. As realization sunk in, I said, “Sir, you already are a part of the 99%, just that neither I nor you are aware of it”

The Vedic way of life lost itself to dogma in Europe, Middle-east, Afghanistan and Central Asia. The Yezidi is a fading living footprint that it has in the middle east and needs to be saved. Primarily as a people and then also as a living culture. A research facility for the Yezidis, a temple for Melek Taus or even a place for their priests at Hindu temples would only add to the wide galaxy of the vibrant Vedic civilization.

Since 2015 I have been working on the documentary “Eastern shores of the Western World”. I filmed with the Romuva Pagans of the Baltic, the Szekely community of the Black Sea region and lastly the Yezidi community of Middle East. The Romuva is a revival movement that seeks to follow the pre-Christian faith of the Baltic region. The Szekely is an extinct religion whose traces are now seen in the modern day Christian rituals in central Asia and black sea region. The Yezidi are an ancient live faith, ongoing in their struggle to avoid extinction, both of its people and of its culture.

But they all have some particular things in common. They all refuse to believe in the dogmatic idea of “Religion”, they all believe that they once were a “Live Faith” or “Dharma” that was derived out of astronomy and life sciences and lastly, they all acknowledge that the answer to their origin is somewhere in the Vedic civilization.

With this I conclude, praying that peace and a “Home” can soon be restored to the Yezidis and I can, with film and media as an equipment, play a part in helping them rebuild what was lost.

About the author:

Based in Los Angeles, Aditya Patwardhan is a Hollywood filmmaker. He is best known for his short film Red House by the Crossroads for which he won Best Short film Award at the Los Angeles Independent Film Festival Awards and the film was also the part of the Cannes Film Festival 2015. His popular music video “Katra Katra” is currently playing on MTV India in the Indie Pop category on national television in India. He can be reached at aditya@patwardhans.org